Illuminating device



T240? 1,971,599 Xzloi xz/ XZIA/ Aug. 28, 1934. J. F. COULTER ILLUMINATING DEVICE Flled May 12 1933 m M. A H M.

flrmewer Patented Aug. 28, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to improvements in illuminating devices and the main object is to provide a device by which an underground gas or water meter or other device remote to the eye and difficult of access maybe illuminated and readily read or examined at a distance.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind in a simple, durable, readily portable and convenient form.

A further object is to provide such a device comprising simply a staff or shaft bearing at one end a lamp and at the other a battery and switch and having suitable adjustable lenses whereby an object near the lamp may be properly focused and viewed from the other end of the staff.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side view of the device.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section along the line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section along the line 33 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section along the line 44 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section along the line 55 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section through the upper end portion of the battery container showing the construction of the switch.

Figure '7 is a similar'view through the lower end portion of the battery container showing the lower battery terminal arrangement.

Referring now with more particularity to the drawing my invention comprises an elongated staff or standard 1 of any desired length and material and preferably, though not necessarily, square in cross section as shown. A handle 2 is secured by cars 3 and screws 4 to the staif 1 near its upper end and a cylindrical battery container 5 is mounted in parallelism with the staff at the rear and near the top by clamps 6 bent around the container and set astraddle the stalf and secured thereto by screws 7. A plug 8 of insulating material is mounted in the lower end of the container 5 by-a screw 9 and a contact screw 10 is provided centrally in the plug with a wide flat head 11 at its inner and a nut 12 at its outer end. A switch 13 is provided in the upper end of the container 5 handy to the handle 2 and comprises a plug 14 of insulating material mounted in the container by a screw 15 and having a central bore 16 through which a switch plunger 17 is slidably mounted, same having a conical contact point 18 at its inner end and a head 19 at its outer, upper end. An expansion coil'spring 20 is mounted over the plunger 17 and braced between the plug 14 and head 19 whereby said plunger is normally urged upwardly and outwardly. Batteries 21 similar to those used in flashlights are placed end to end in the container 5, the lower battery contacting the head 11 of screw 10 as designated at 22 while the upper one clears the contact point 18 of plunger 1'7 in its normal position as shown at 23.

.A lamp 24 is provided on the front side and near the lower end of the staff 1 and comprises a reflector 25 swiveled at 26 between the ends of a U-shaped clamp 27 secured by screws 28 to the staff, said reflector containing a lamp bulb 29 arranged in conventional manner. Wires 30 and 31 from the lamp bulb 29 are run up alongside the staff 1 and one is connected to the screw 10 and the other to the switch plunger 1'7. The arrangement as so far described is such that by 80 depressing the plunger 17 the contact point 18 thereof engages the upper battery 21 and completes the circuit from the batteries through the wires 30 and 31 to the lamp bulb 29 causing it to light. A locater ring or guide 32 is secured by its upturned end 33 and screws 34 to the staff and projects forwardly therefrom. The light emitted by the lamp bulb 29 is played on the ring by swinging the reflector 25 to the proper angle in the clamp 27 and the guide may then be placed over the dial of a Water meter as designated at A and said dial will be brilliantly illuminated for easy reading. The same is true in other uses of the device, the ring or guide 32 facilitating the proper positioning of the staff and lamp relative to the dial or object to be viewed.

In order to facilitate reading or examining the object under the guide 32 a plurality of lenses are provided designated at 35, 36 and 3'7. The first two lenses 3.5 and 36, are disposed near the upper end of the staff 1 and are supported by arms 38 pivotally mounted by screws 39 between the ends of bracket plates 40 secured on the sides of the staff by screws 41, the arrangement being such that the lenses may be swung out at right angles to the staff when in use or swung apart and disposed flat against the staff when not in use. Bearing washers 42 of fibre or similar material may be interposed between the arms 38 and the ends 43 of the bracket plates 40 to aid in holding the lenses to their adjusted positions. All the lenses are of course extended forwardly from the staff over the guide ring 32.

For the lens 37 a U-shaped bracket 44 is pro vided and is slidably mounted on the staff 1.with its spaced ends extended forwardly to receive the end of the arm 45 extended from the lens and pivoted on the screw 46. A bearing or stop plate 4'7 is provided across the underside of the extended end of the bracket 44 and a stop screw 48 is threaded upward therethrough in such position that the lens arm 45 will rest upon it when the lens is swung downward for use, this screw serving as an adjustment for the lens to properly align it with the locater ring 32 and the sight line as will be understood. A clamp sleeve 49 is slidably mounted on the staff 1 at some distance above the lens 3'7 andmay be locked in any adjusted position by a clamp screw 50 threaded through one side and adapted to bear against the side of the staff. Said clamp screw 50 has a large knurled head 51 to facilitate adjustment and a rod 52 is loosely mounted by its eye 53 around this head and extends downward to and is secured by a screw 54 to the lens bracket 44. The lens 37 may thus be raised or lowered on the staff and locked in any adjusted position by the clamp screw 50, the arrangement of the clamp sleeve and screw at some distance above the lens facilitating this adjustment by the operator particularly when the device is lowered into a hole or box as in reading underground water or gas meters. A fiat leaf spring 55 is provided between the bight of the bracket 44 and the staff 1 to keep the bracket tight on the shaft while still permitting the sliding movement necessary. The clamp sleeve 49 carries an aperturedear 56 through which the wires 30 and 31 are strung as shown.

The lower lens 37 is ground as an enlarging lens to enlarge the dial or object being viewed and this showing is then reduced by the reducing lens 36 resulting in. a very sharp and easiTy read image when the lens 37 is properly adjusted between the lens 36 and the locater ring 32. If desired the upper enlarging lens 35 may then be brought into place to again enlarge the view or any other combination of the lenses used as desired. This combination of lenses and the lamp 24 makes the reading of meters or viewing of any object from a remote point very convenient and positive and the staff 1 may of course be made of any length suited to the use of the device. The lower lens 37 is made larger in diameter than the others in order to allow a field of view to the full extent of the ring 32 in any adjusted position of the lens.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of my invention it is understood that I may vary therefrom in minor structural details so as best to construct a practical device for the purposes intended not departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the kind described, a staff, a lamp djustably mounted adjacent the lower end 0 e staff, [a locatgr ring) extended from the lower end of the staff beneath the lamp, a sliding bracket mounted on the stafi above the lamp, anl enlarging lens hinged to the said bracket, a clamp s eeve on the staff at some distance above the sliding bracket, a clamp screw threaded through the clamp sleeve, a rod connecting the said sliding bracket and clamp sleeve, a bracket secured near the upper end of the staff a r ing lenshinied to the bracket, and an e lens h e o the bracket above the said reducmg lens.

JAMES FINLEY COULTER. 

